Pale rope orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pale rope orchid |
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| Bulbophyllum grandimesense in the Cedar Bay National Park | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Bulbophyllum
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| Species: |
grandimesense
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The Bulbophyllum grandimesense, also known as the pale rope orchid, is a special type of orchid. It's an epiphyte, which means it grows on other plants, like trees, but it doesn't harm them. This orchid has stems with small, swollen parts called pseudobulbs, which help it store water. It also has brown, leaf-like parts called bracts along its stems.
Each pseudobulb has one thick, dark green leaf. Usually, only one white flower grows from each pseudobulb. These flowers have thin, thread-like tips on their sepals. You can find the pale rope orchid growing on rainforest trees in a small area of tropical North Queensland, Australia.
What it Looks Like
The pale rope orchid is a herb that grows on other plants. Its stems can be about 100 to 200 mm (4 to 8 inches) long. These stems are covered with brown, leaf-like bracts.
The pseudobulbs, which are like small, swollen stems, are about 8 to 12 mm (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long and about 3 mm (0.1 inches) wide. They are spaced out along the stems. Each pseudobulb has a thick, dark green leaf that is 15 to 50 mm (0.6 to 2 inches) long and 3 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide. This leaf sits on a short stalk about 4 to 5 mm (0.16 to 0.20 inches) long.
Usually, only one white flower grows from each pseudobulb. The flower is about 6 to 8 mm (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long and 5 to 7 mm (0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide. It grows on a very thin, thread-like stem about 1.5 mm (0.06 inches) long.
The sepals (outer parts of the flower) are thick and about 8 to 9 mm (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long and 2 mm (0.08 inches) wide. The petals (inner parts of the flower) are about 2.5 mm (0.1 inches) long and 1.5 mm (0.06 inches) wide. The labellum, which is a special lip-like petal, is about 2.5 mm (0.1 inches) long and 1.5 mm (0.06 inches) wide. It's thick and curved.
This orchid usually blooms from May to June.
Naming the Pale Rope Orchid
The pale rope orchid was officially named Bulbophyllum grandimesense in 1989. It was named by a botanist named Bruce Gray. He wrote about it in a science journal called Austrobaileya after finding a sample near Rossville.
The name grandimesense comes from two words. Grandis is a Latin word meaning "great." Mesa is a Spanish word meaning "table." This name refers to a place called the "Big Tableland" near Rossville, which is where this orchid was discovered.
Where it Lives
The pale rope orchid grows on the upper branches of rainforest trees. You can find it in the Cedar Bay National Park in Queensland, Australia.
See also
In Spanish: Bulbophyllum grandimesense para niños
